Fools on Fire
by Singkatsu
Summary: Friends help each other, even if it's embarrassing and hazardous to all involved. Kathy/Phoebe


_A/N: Hey readers! Here's another femslash pairing for you, in the form of a challenge made at Kuneko's request. Despite the game never hinting at this, I stretched game-reality a little to make the Garmon mine 'youths' friends, but hopefully that isn't too unrealistic. Anyway, happy reading! _

They had been there for five minutes, and the bar was on fire. Literally.

It was her so-called 'brothers' way of getting the blond waitress' attention, juggling the table's candles in an impressive machismo display of ambidextrous ability. Unfortunately, Luke and Owen were far from coordinated – dropped candles had eaten away at the alcohol soaked surface and the table was aflame within seconds. Kathy, whose _positive_ attention they'd been trying to get, had promptly doused them in a layer of fire-resistant foam, their night and clothes effectively ruined.

Phoebe glared at the two boys across from her, despite how ineffectual it was with her glasses covered in foam, hating that she'd ever allowed herself to be dragged along. They had been friends since they were living – being the only kids in the mining district helped – that she should have foreseen them doing something stupid. Unfortunately, Phoebe hadn't counted on them doing something stupid to help her.

So she'd let it slip, in one of their joint mining trips to the lower floors, that she thought the blonde town girl was 'cute.' Phoebe hadn't meant for it to go anywhere really, they'd all gone to school together, but her and Kathy had never been close. They hadn't even talked before heading out of town. Anyway, Phoebe had just noticed how the girl had…grown…when she'd returned from university. It was no big deal, really.

Even with cold foam sliding down her cheeks, the normally reclusive girl blushed. She wasn't in town much, but, when she was, the other girl's sun-kissed skin and muscular form never ceased to grab her attention.

Like it was right now.

"Idiots, the both of you," the tall girl had an ear in each hand, much to the yelping pain of the two golden-hearted numbskulls. "And all this, without even a drop of alcohol in ya. Honestly, how did the two of you even survive this long?"

"Heh, well," Luke, teetering on his tip-toes to accommodate the ear-clench, gave a grimacing-grin. "We got Phebes to thank for that. You know, heh, she's the brain of every operation."

The aforementioned girl was like a deer-caught-in-headlights, hair stuck to her forehead and glasses in hand. Oh goddess, he was not implicating her in this.

"Uh…" Through her fuzzy vision, she could see the waitress raise a delicate eyebrow. Steeling herself, Phoebe directed a blank-stare to the two boys on either side of her. "Only when there actually is anything remotely _intelligent_ going on. You and Owen have gotten into plenty of stupid stuff that I would not touch with a ten foot extending pole."

"Yo, Kaths, ease up, would you?"Owen grunted, before his face transformed into something all-too mischievous. To think, Phoebe had actually thought he had a crush on the pretty barmaid at one point; he was incorrigible. "Lukes and I were just putzing around, having fun like guys do, right? No harm done. Plus, the Phoebster here totally thought we were rocking it. She would've joined in too, if we had had another minute."

"Yeah, definitely!" Luke piped in. "Wouldn't that have been awesome?"

"….uh, huh. Well, _I_ don't think cutie-pants over there would have wanted to have any part in this dumbassery. Like she said, she's actually _smart_ about her life choices," Phoebe's face was now the thing on fire. "Now, enough stalling, neither of you are getting anything tonight. So, get out."

The two boys didn't need to be told twice, throwing smirks in their friend's direction, they sprinted for the door. Hands on her hips, Kathy breathed out in a rush, causing several loose strands of honey coloured hair to flutter. Phoebe was mesmerized. Except, then the barmaid took a step back, looking as if she were going to leave.

The still-drenched girl mentally scrambled. Her friends had presented her with an opportunity, so should she take the chance? When icy blue eyes accidentally met holly green, she figured she had nothing to lose.

"Um," she spoke out, her voice barely audible over the room's din. "Sorry for all that. May I buy you a drink to make up for it?"

A timid smile brightened Kathy's face. She gave an energetic nod.

"I'd love that."


End file.
